Two Souls

Chapter Sixty Eight

          On the first of September, Draco and I arrive at King's Cross Station through Platform 9 3/4 where the Hogwarts Express would arrive any minute. Like last year, our parents — er, my parents and Narcissa — failed to come send us off, leaving Draco and I in only each other's presence.

"Isn't it quite ironic?" I ask him, without a laugh. "Last year, whilst we were in this exact spot, we couldn't stand each other."

"Things were a lot different back then," Draco tells me quietly with a dry laugh.

The Hogwarts Express arrives just minutes after, releasing a loud screech when it comes to a halt. I can see the Weasleys, Harry, and Hermione all clustered together looking gleeful.

Words cannot describe how much I miss my friendship with the three of them.

Draco goes to put away our trunks whilst I find a compartment for the two of us to sit in. Before I can even find an empty compartment, a breathless third year girl bumps into me with wide eyes.

"I'm supposed to deliver these to Blaise Zabini and A-Amelia Grey," She falters, holding two neatly sealed scrolls in her grasp.

"I'm Amelia Grey," I tell her kindly. "And I'm good friends with Blaise Zabini, I can give his to him. What is it?" I ask her.

"From Professor Slughorn," She says.

"Er — who?" I ask. I don't recall a Professor Slughorn teaching at Hogwarts.

The girl is gone before she can answer my question, however. Sighing, I turn around and head to the Slytherin section of the compartment where I immediately find Zabini and Draco conversing. Crabbe and Goyle sit cluelessly next to each other.

"Zabini, the two of us have received this letter from Professor Slughorn. I'm not quite sure what it's about," I tell him, closing the compartment door behind me and handing him the scroll.

"I suppose we ought to see what it is then?" Zabini asks coyly, tearing the seal and clearing his throat.

"Blaise, I would be delighted if you would join me for a bite of lunch in compartment C. Sincerely, Professor K.E.F. Slughorn," Zabini reads.

My letter, which I briefly scan now, reads the exact same thing.

"You don't think he knows about —?" Draco whispers quietly in my ear, so that I am the only one who can hear him speak.

I shake my head dismissively. "There's no way. We don't know the man. And if he knew, wouldn't you think he would select you for lunch instead of Zabini?" I whisper to him.

Zabini looks between the two of us. "I must've missed a lot this Summer," He muses.

"Oh my god, Draco! The Prefect meeting started five minutes ago! We have to —"

"I'm not going."

My head snaps. "You're not going?" I repeat, flabbergasted. If this were any other year, Draco would be thrilled to have the power to basically abuse his position as Prefect, especially for Gryffindors.

"I'm not really in the mood to," He says lifelessly, sitting back down and leaning against the window.

I bite my lip. "If you aren't going then I suppose I won't go either." I sit down next to him and he moves his hand to rest on my thigh.

The morning strolls by slowly, with most of us sitting in the compartment in silence. Draco is extraordinarily quiet, much to my anxiousness. Zabini and I engage in brief, casual conversation before I begin to start some reading whilst he joins in on Crabbe and Goyle's game of Exploding Snaps.

"Zabini, I think we ought to leave, it's nearly noon," I tell him once I've finally looked up from my book to check the clock. Draco's grip on my thigh, whether intentional or sh conscious, tightens as if he doesn't want me to leave his side

"Bloody hell, we just bought a trolley full of treats!" Goyle complains, throwing his big head against the leather seats.

"That just leaves more for the three of us," Crabbe says, his grubby fingers already clutching a handful of Pumpkin Pasties.

Zabini and I quickly exit the compartment and head off to where Professor Slughorn is. We're the second to last group of people to arrive — there are two seventh year boys, Marcus Belby, Cormac McLaggen, and Ginny Weasley.

Ginny flashes me a small smile once I sit down. She must still think we are friends — after all, the last time I have seen her was when we fought against Death Eaters in the Department of Mysteries. How on Earth do I tell her I'm one of the creatures I despised the most?

"Harry, m'boy!" Professor Slughorn says cheerfully, standing up when the infamous Harry Potter arrives. He's accompanied by Neville Longbottom. Although Neville is a few inches taller than Harry, Harry easily outshadows Neville in every possible way.

"Now, do you two know everyone?" Slughorn asks. "Amelia Grey and Blaise Zabini are in your year of course. . ."

Zabini does not make any sign of greeting, neither do Harry or Neville. I manage to muster up a polite wave and smile, wanting to maintain my friendly persona with the Gryffindor boys.

"I was just telling young Marcus here that I had the pleasure of teaching his Uncle Damocles. Outstanding wizard, outstanding, and his Order of Merlin most well-deserved. Do you see much of your uncle, Marcus?" Slughorn asks rapidly, catching the poor boy off guard.

"Not . . . not much of him, no," Belby says breathlessly, nearly choking on a pheasant he had just shoved in his mouth.

"Now, you, Cormac," Slughorn grins. "I happen to know you see a lot of your Uncle Tiberius, because he has a rather splendid picture of the two of you hunting nogtails in, I think, Norfolk?"

"Oh yeah, that was fun," Cormac says. "We went with Bertie Higgs and Rufus Scrimgeour — this was before he became Minister, obviously —"

Everyone here seems to know somebody influential or because they are connected to somebody — except for Ginny, however. Zabini apparently has a stunningly beautiful mother who has been married seven times. Neville's parents were terribly tortured by Bellatrix Lestrange — I shudder thinking what would happen if I ever had to do something like to that to somebody. And I, am here simply for the fact that my parents are well known in America and England.

I resist the urge to roll my eyes into the back of my head when Slughorn mentions Harry Potter and the obvious history behind his scar. Every bloody wizard in the world knows of him and his life, I did not need to sit here for an additional five minutes to listen to him explain that. Especially with Draco alone with Crabbe and Goyle in the compartment . . .

"Good gracious it's getting dark already! I didn't notice that they'd lit the lamps! You'd better go and change into your robes, all of you. McLaggen, you must drop by and borrow that book on nogtails. Harry, Blaise, Amelia — any time you're passing. Same goes for you, miss Ginny. Well off you go, off you go!" Slughorn says, urging us off.

—-
I'm so excited for their sixth year to start :))

Confession: I haven't read the sixth and seventh book since middle school so it feels so nice to re-read the digital copy <3